Kate Canales, B.S.

Kate Canales, B.S.

Chair, Department of Design

Distinguished Senior Lecturer

Fellow of Marguerite Fairchild Centennial Professorship

Kate Canales is a Distinguished Senior Lecturer and Chair of the Department of Design in the School of Design and Creative Technologies at the University of Texas at Austin. Previously Canales was a clinical professor and the director of Design and Innovation Programs at the Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University. She is the founder and director of SMU’s pioneering Master of Arts degree in Design and Innovation (MADI) which trains students of all backgrounds in human-centered design as a method for innovating in any field. Kate has a background in mechanical engineering, product design and design research, and much of her recent work has focused on building creative capacity inside organizations.

Prior to SMU, Kate worked as a designer and design researcher at IDEO and as a creative director at frog design, both internationally recognized leaders in the field of design and innovation.